Former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte was turned over to the custody of the International Criminal Court, following his arrest on a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity over deadly anti-drugs crackdowns he oversaw while in office.
The 79-year-old former president arrived at Rotterdam The Hague Airport in the Netherlands on Wednesday on a flight from Manila, following his arrest there on an ICC request on Tuesday.
Duterte will face justice at The Hague (AP)
Rights groups and families of victims hailed Duterte’s arrest, and the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, called it “a crucial step in our continuous work to ensure accountability for the victims of the most serious crimes under ICC jurisdiction”.
Supporters of Duterte criticised the administration of current Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos, Duterte’s political rival, for arresting and surrendering the former leader to a court whose jurisdiction his supporters dispute.
The Dutch-based court said in a statement that medical assistance was made available “as a precautionary measure” at the airport for Duterte, in line with standard procedures when a suspect arrives. The court did not comment on his state of health.
An ambulance drove to the hangar where his plane was taken, and medics wheeled a gurney inside. A police helicopter hovered close to the airport, and later a black SUV was seen leaving the airport accompanied by police. Its destination was not immediately clear. Crowds gathered outside the detention centre for ICC suspects.
Within days, Duterte will face an initial appearance where the court will confirm his identity, check that he understands the charges against him and set a date for a hearing to assess if prosecutors have sufficient evidence to send him to a full trial.
If his case goes to trial and he is convicted, Duterte could face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
Jerrie Abella of Amnesty International said: “This is a monumental and long-overdue step for justice for thousands of victims and their families.
The plane carrying Rodrigo Duterte to The Hague took off from Manila earlier (AP)
“It is therefore a hopeful sign for them, as well, in the Philippines and beyond, as it shows that suspected perpetrators of the worst crimes, including government leaders, will face justice wherever they are in the world.”
Emily Soriano, the mother of a victim of the crackdowns, said she wanted more officials to face justice.
“Duterte is lucky he has due process, but our children who were killed did not have due process,” she said.
Duterte’s supporters, however, criticised his arrest as illegal and sought to have him returned home. Small groups of Duterte supporters and people who backed his arrest demonstrated on Wednesday outside the court before his arrival.
The ICC opened an inquiry in 2021 into mass killings linked to the so-called war on drugs overseen by Duterte when he served as mayor of the southern Philippine city of Davao, and later as president.
Estimates of the death toll during Duterte’s presidential term vary, from the more than 6,000 that the national police have reported and up to 30,000 claimed by human rights groups.
ICC judges who looked at prosecution evidence supporting their request for his arrest found “reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Duterte is individually responsible for the crime against humanity of murder” as an “indirect co-perpetrator for having allegedly overseen the killings when he was mayor of Davao and later president of the Philippines,” according to his warrant.